Naruto: Izou
by E.M.I.E.R
Summary: Twelve years after the events of Naruto: Shippuden, a despaired Konohagakure calls upon a new generation of young genin graduates to restore the pride and will of the Land of Fire. Rated M for future violence, gore, and profanity.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **(Mayuyu) Take it easy guys. This is an OC-based fic, so any flames about the fic centering around original characters will be laughed at for blatant retardation. Also for future reference, this fic is written alternately by two authors, myself (Mayuyu), and Jagdish. So if you notice a change in writing style between this chapter and the next one, that's why.

Also, be gentle: This is Jagdish's first time writing a fanfic, so he's new to the game. But, constructive criticism is always welcomed and encouraged. :)

**Disclaimer: **We do not own Naruto. If we did, Asuma would be alive and Sakura wouldn't fail so hard. (No bashing intended. I actually adore her, but seriously, Kishi?) We only own the plot and of course, our own original characters.

(P.S.: No, Jagdish is not a porn star.)

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**Chapter I: Graduation**  
_by: Jagdish_XXXO_

Youji.

No surname – owned an identity with no ties to any other human being.

His skin made him the natural focal point of the group he was standing among for the onlooking audience; dermis in a pigment dark and rich. It told a story about his true heritage. Youji was a child of The Land of Lightning, who had somehow found a home in The Land of Fire and more specifically Konoha. His skin had made him an outsider within the walls but it was truly the boy's heart that had separated him from the other citizens.

His appearance gave the impression that he was a young, sweet and simple boy. The possessors of the eyes that were now upon him would come away with a perception of him much the same, but they'd need only to speak with him briefly to know differently. Though only twelve, Youji had developed a sort of voice that was cold and soulless; many believed it to be the voice of a broken elderly man.

Youji made very little time for conversation. Unlike his peers, having dialogues with others was not an event that he enjoyed.

Dull green eyes searched the adjacent crowd for a familiar face. There was only one person that Youji truly wanted to see sitting up in the stands and that person was Nara Shikamaru. Mister Nara had been something like a guardian to Youji and also somehow his only confidante. Nara's approval and praise meant everything to the child and his graduation from the academy on this day would be a great way to earn both.

Youji continued to search but couldn't find that special face in the crowd. A nervous twitching in his hand developed as he felt an anxiousness creep in. The prepubescent shut his eyes tightly to whisper his idol's name under his breath and hope that he would appear. And somehow Youji's hope produced the man; or much more likely, his taking a breather and calming himself had allowed him to gain the better focus that he needed to locate the man.

Youji spotted Nara sitting in the crowd; his arms folded and his signature scowl on his face. Beside him sat an old woman, an old woman by the name of Kurenai. Yuuhi Kurenai. Though far along in years, the woman retained a youthful air. Her beauty was undeniable and Youji knew Mr. Nara noticed; though he always managed to refute the accusations of it. The two sat closely together. So close, but without physical contact.

The dark-skinned boy strained his eyes to look off into the distance more to see Mr. Nara more closely. He desperately wanted to see the look in Nara's eyes; he was unsure of the reason but wanted to none the less. Youji quickly noticed that Nara's sights weren't on Kurenai at all; his eyes were directed straight forward. His gaze was set on the graduates and Youji couldn't have been any happier.

Youji's happiness was short lived. The child soon realized that he wasn't the one drawing Mr. Nara's attention. It was another who had his been the man's focus. It was Sarutobi Kireme. Son of Sarutobi Asuma. Youji knew Kireme well. The two of them competed quite frequently for Nara Shikamaru's attention and praise; it was the only thing Youji would bother to fight for.

Youji could feel an emotion welling up inside him. He knew the feeling well but refused to identify it and give it a name in his mind since it was so ugly. The boy noted in that moment that all his feelings of insecurity and inferiority were creeping in on him. A hard lump formed in his throat.

He was no match for Nara's own godson.

Kireme's now deceased father Asuma had been Nara's sensei when he was young and the two had formed a bond because of it. Youji had heard many times the story of how the great shinobi Sarutobi Asuma had been struck down in battle when dealing with the Akatsuki and he was avenged by a young Nara Shikamaru. The brilliant Nara then pledged to watch over and forever care for the unborn child Kurenai was carrying, fathered by his own idol and sensei.

Nara had kept true to his pledge. He oversaw Kireme's study and training and never missed a chance to impart the art and wisedom of a shinobi to his god son. He had done the same for Youji, but it wasn't quite the same. Nara's hours spent with Kireme seemed somehow more meaningful than those he would spend with Youji.

Previously the youngster had all but deafened himself to keep from hearing the names of his also graduating classmates being called out and the subsequent shouts of congratulations and joy from their families that would follow. But when the name "Sarutobi Kireme" was called, Youji's ears couldn't help but perk up and listen.

An immense applause erupted. Kireme's relatives and close friends clapped loudly, but their praise meant nothing to Youji. He was only concerned with Nara's reaction. Youji's eyes strained to watch the man far off in the distance for his expression and mannerisms.

Nara had no physical reaction – he didn't stand like the rest of Kireme's fans there in crowd, nor did he clap like the others. But he did do something. He reacted. A small gesture that Youji had almost missed.

There. Just at the corner of Nara's mouth a smile began to appear. The edge's of his lips had started to turn up and the expression on his face was one of happiness.

That Nara had even bothered to show up for the event meant so much already; he wasn't a man to trouble himself with things being less than of the utmost importance. But now he was emoting! Kireme had earned a smile!

Youji hadn't. When his name was called they boy watched his idol's face very carefully. No smile appeared like he had hoped it would. Youji had earned praise all the same though. A round of applause. His mentor hadn't bothered to stand this time either, but he certainly managed to display his approval.

Clapping was good, but it wasn't a smile.

Later that day after the festivities and event had died down, Youji found himself thinking about the future. More specifically he dreamt of the day he would finally show up Kireme when competing for Nara's praise.

He envisioned it so very clearly. After years of hard training and studying, Youji stood before Nara as a powerful Jounin with hundreds of powerful jutsus in his large arsenal of abilities. Kireme would stand before Nara just the same, but somehow lesser. In what way Kireme would be lesser than himself was the only part of the fantasy was lacking. But the idea remained.

Youji smiled to himself as he looked up at the sky. He lay in an open field continuing to dream. Nara wasn't the only person he wanted to impress. There were only two others the boy could think of whom he was interested in making proud – his own parents.

Somewhere in The Land of Lightening were a man and a woman with Youji's face and his eyes. They knew his heritage and they knew his heart. Or at least that's how the boy liked to think of them.

The sharp blades of grass tickled his body as he thought of his mother.

She would have long hair, white in color like his own. That woman would wear the warmest smile and have a caring voice – the kind that would help to sooth any ailment or wound.

And his father. Youji could see his father so clearly.

He was a proud shinobi of Kumogakure. Powerful and strong.

His appearance was no mystery. Youji's father would look just like him. They shared the same eyes and the same skin.

There in Youji's head the three of them were reunited. He was himself in all of his predicted glory, returning home as a powerful ninja and entering into open arms. His parents would be so proud, but so ashamed. Ashamed at the way they had left their infant child in the wilderness of The Land of Fire to be found by shinobi of an opposing force.

They would realize their wrong and get to see how amazing their son had become.

Youji's smile grew wider as he continued to dream about where his future years would take him as he journeyed from genin to jounin.

The silence in the room was deafening. Youji tapped his foot nervously as he waited for the others to arrive. The 'others' being the other members of Team 4.

Following the graduation ceremony all the academy graduates attended the fair to help them prepare for their new lives to become ninja. Pictures were taken for the Ninja Registration Book of the village and informational packets were handed out. Among the documents in the packet was a small piece of paper with the most important information of all written on it: Team assignment and the room number to meet in the next day at the academy.

Youji had been assigned to Team 4 and was to report to room number 202 and so he did.

There he sat waiting wondering who he would be working with in his three man cell. Youji didn't care all that much about who was in his team but he did have some preferences. The young boy began to think. There had been thirty-four graduates from the academy in total. Firstly, the boy had decided years ago that he wouldn't want to work in a team with Sarutobi Kireme. If they were grouped together Kireme would surely out perform himself. He didn't wish to really compete with Kireme at all – he'd much prefer to just not be compared to him at all.

Now he was down to thirty-three graduates that he wouldn't mind working with.

He thought again. Secondly, Youji didn't want to work with any girls. They made him feel awkard. Growing up, Youji hadn't very often been in contact with persons of the opposite sex. Whenever he was in a social situation with one, he found he would become very...strange. He'd become clumsy and foolish and tongue-tied during the small periods of time he was willing to speak. He always felt as if there was something special to be done when a girl was around; something to be said or done, but could never figure out what it was. No...working with a girl would be the worst.

That left twenty-one other genin that Youji had absolutely no problem working with.

Now there was nothing left for the boy to do but sit and wait for his team mates to enter and hope that fate would grant him a team he wouldn't mind being in.

The entrance door to the classroom slid open slowly. So slowly in fact that Youji had to wait a full fifteen seconds to see who it actually was standing outside in the hallway; almost as if the person attempting to enter was playing some kind of game.

A pulled back fusuma would reveal a young girl standing in the doorway. Youji instantly lowered his head; his chin now meeting with the top of the desk he was seated at. The young boy stared forward at the girl in a manner that some would consider rude. Youji could feel that his face was twisted up and contorted; displaying his displeasure, he took a moment to take in her appearance.

The girl was just as young as Youji was, if not younger. She stood with a lazy posture; a curve in her back and a hand on her hip – seemingly leaning on thin air. She wore a strange expression. A smirk that practically covered her face and ran from one ear to the other. Her clothes were odd – an outfit consisting of a powered blue jacket lined with tan fur, a black mess shirt and a red shirt. A forehead protector dangled loosely at her waist and off to the slide; worn more like a cheap belt than a symbol of pride.

Youji couldn't help but notice the girl's physical attractiveness. Her body was petite like most girls her age and her stature small – standing somewhere between 139 and 144 centimeters tall; taller than Youji unfortunately. Her skin was a strange yellow-ish tan color. A color the dark-skinned boy could only associate with a sun-kissed lemon. Her eyes blue and her hair a bright red; Youji couldn't help but think of how everything about the girl clashed in terms of color. None of that matter though since her features where almost angelic.

Youji still didn't like her. Girls were usually trouble.

She pursed her lips before speaking. "Hello," the girl spoke, her voice cool and feminine and full of excitement, "my name is Rie!" Youji's eyes opened wide as he noticed the volume of this girl's voice. She seemed to be shouting every word at him for no reason at all.

"_Oh great... not only is she a girl...she's a loud girl,"_ Youji thought to himself with his face now almost implanted in the desk.

"I guess you're one-fourth of Team 4 then huh?" Rie continued her greeting, her normal speaking voice sounding like shouting all the while. Youji refused to speak. Anything that came out of his mouth at this point would either be insulting since he was annoyed or a muddled mess since he was nervous.

"I don't like to be ignored," the red-haired girl admitted as she first shimmied through the doorway and then skipped across the room to where Youji was seated. Rie leaned over her newly acquainted team mate and stared hard at the back of his head.

So hard in fact that Youji could feel her presence.

"You couldn't possibly be asleep could you?"

Suddenly a series of pokes and prods began to be delivered to the back of the boy's head; one after another each one helping his annoyance to grow to anger.

"Fine! I deem you the lazy member of Team 4 since you can't even be bothered to lift your head when spoken to."

"_Rie equals persistent and annoying,"_ Youji thought.

Then just as quickly as the poking had begun the poking stopped.

"Hi there! I'm Rie," the young girl announced to yet another person, the mannerism accompanying her introduction just as lively as she was – a large and spastic wave.

"Hello," a male voice so familiar to Youji replied, "I'm Kireme. Sarutobi Kireme."

The young girl giggled and Youji felt as if something had snapped inside him. Heart pounding and stomach churning, the young boy pulled his head up from it's place on the desk to confirm with his eyes what his ears knew already.

In the doorway stood Sarutobi Kireme; the most popular of all his class mates. Youji rolled his eyes instantly. He couldn't believe his luck. The very two components he hadn't wanted to be paired with he was now stuck with.

"_Why not two other guys who I didn't have to compete with?" _Youji shouted to himself as he stared dumbfounded at the other boy.

Kireme was Youji's direct opposite in looks.

Kireme sported a close buzz cut in dark hair while Youji had long, white hair. One pale-skinned and the other dark. The son of Sarutobi was much taller than Youji; he stood at a mere 134 centimeters while he rival towered over everyone in their age bracket at 165 centimeters.

Kireme was adored by the girls and Youji wasn't – not that he wanted it any other way.

"Sarutobi?" Rie asked with some excitement. "Sarutobi as in...the Sarutobi clan? As in Sarutobi Hiruzen, the great third Hokage?" Rie began to squeal with enthusiasm.

"Yes, yes, he is in fact a part of the legendary Sarutobi clan," said a pink haired woman as she gentle pushed Kireme aside to enter the room, "but let's try to keep the fan-girling to a minimum. It gives guys a big head and a sense of importance they really don't deserve. I know first-hand."

Youji stared in awe at the tall slender woman who had entered the room; not because of her beauty but because he couldn't believe any one could have bad enough luck to be born with naturally pink hair.

"And you are?" Kireme questioned the woman, his tone wavering as he tried hard not to sound disrespectful even though he truly wanted to.

"I am your Team leader and sensei. Haruno Sakura."

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**Author's Note: **(Mayuyu) Jagdish says that he's sorry the chapter is so short, but he wanted to make sure people were interested in reading more. Also, I am apparently the official scribe now, so most of the author's notes will probably be written by yours truly.

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: (Jagdish_XXXO) Since it wasn't discussed earlier what exact time line/history this story follows as far as the Naruto universe is concerned – it should be noted that this story is written following all events and history of the Naruto series up until up until episode 150 of Shippuden (and it's coinciding chapter in the manga). Any history or events following episode 150 of Shippuden may or may not be valid to the story being created here and is subject to change.

**Chapter II: This brotherhood, a falsehood**

by: Jagdish_XXXO

"Shhhhhhhhrrrrrrzzzzzz"

The sound exploded in Youji's ear louder than any thunder he had ever heard before – the sound of a single shuriken shooting passed the side of his head and missing his external auditory organ.

A pounding heart in his chest and a welling up in his throat let the young boy know that adrenaline was coursing through his system. His cool was fading. Youji cursed himself in that moment – he was being attacked and his primary focus seemed to be making sure that neither of his team mates saw the worry within him; his seafoam green eyes searched the surrounding canopy long before his legs powered on to move his body to a place of safety.

Youji's chest was heaving as he tried to recover the natural rhythmic pattern of his breathing, but he couldn't find a moment to compose himself. Small tremors were tickling his back as they traveled through the tree he had placed himself behind to escape the onslaught coming from the very opposite side. The shuriken were still coming.

The sounds were so distinct. The same low, faint sound of air being forcefully parted and then the sound of splitting wood. The noises sounded once and then twice and then a third time – a fourth, a fifth and a sixth. Youji couldn't stop himself from counting and was utterly amazed at his findings.

He couldn't be all together certain but he had estimated the tree had been pierced right around eighty-one times in under a minute. It was unreal.

Youji was now considering that perhaps his sensei wasn't quite as incapable as he had first predicted she was – she was starting to look like a skilled kunoichi.

Sakura-sensei's skill impressed Youji.

The shh-ing of grass being disturbed caught the dark-skinned boy's attention; one of his comrades was on the move – and at a slow pace at that. Youji could count the footsteps that were being taken – a smile instantly formed on his face. He had found a single thing he could brag about finally; he was faster than Kireme.

There was no way the other boy would obtain one of the two bells tied at Sakura-sensei's waist at the pace he was moving. No genin should be moving that slow. Youji now felt he was guaranteed to win one of the prizes.

Youji's gloating was abruptly interrupted when sounds of sharply pierced air and cracking wood erupted quite some distance away from himself and ceased at his location. The shh-ing that marked the movement of grass began to change position and move this way and that.

"_Sakura-sensei found Kireme,_" thought Youji as he began to also plan in his head how he would move in closer on his sensei to retrieve one of the coveted bells. His thoughts were broken up in only a second when a voice from somewhere above him called out.

"Youji! Get down there and help her out! Sakura-sensei has her pinned."

Youji's eyes opened wide with nonplus and turned towards the higher branches of the forest where the voice had resonated from. Kireme was no where in sight but it had been his voice that had shouted forth above.

A simple calculation took place in the Kumogakure native's head – one that wasn't at all really needed.

"If Kireme is there...then...Rie!" Youji turned his eyes back to the area down below where the sounds of steel piercing wood at extraordinary speeds was still sounding along with sonance of someone scrambling about in the grass and brush.

"Stay back!" Rie replied to her teammates from a distance "I don't need any help."

Her words said one thing but her tone said another; the girl's voice trembled with worry and confusion and her statement was broken by a heavy panting.

Youji was torn. Rie-chan obviously needed some help getting out of her situation – whether she knew it or not. The young boy knelt there on the tree limb thinking. The sounds of the girl fending off an attack much too large for her own skill set to manage.

Pale green eyes strained to see the exact circumstances Rie was being faced with but the density of the wilderness was too thick to see more than a few meters through.

A young mind was slowly filling with questions and concerns – to move to help her or not?

"_I can't keep waiting! The longer I wait the more chance there is that she'll get hurt_" Youji thought, "_but helping her won't help me_." The boy couldn't believe how selfish his thoughts were turning. His own success was now his only reason for not helping a teammate.

Then yet another question arouse.

"Why isn't Kireme moving to help Rie?"

The answer was simple. He was sending Youji to help her in order to help himself. Youji realized his rival's plan. Surely himself and Rie-chan would draw Sakura-sensei's attention and attacks making a perfect opening for him to try to obtain a bell.

No. Now he wouldn't move an inch to help Rie-chan – "Not if it means helping Kireme."

Youji let the last bit slip from his head to passing his lips. The words sounded just under his breath and when they reached his ears he had something of an epiphany.

Youji fixed his posture as he rose to sit on the balls of his sandal clad feet. He had decided after hearing his own words that he had to act better and more honorable than Kireme would. The dark-skinned prepubescent waited in silence for a moment where he could interject in Rie-chan's battle with insurmountable conditions.

The second Youji predicted his odds for assisting his comrade were best and he was just about to leap forward and onward, a hard push from behind launched him off and from his pearch upon the tree's branch.

Branches and twigs causing scrapes and bruises as Youji's falling body submitted to gravity's pull and met with each tree offshoot marked his descent caused by Kireme. Asuma's son had been so quick in his actions that Youji hadn't at all known he was coming. The shove he had received resulted in his landing on his back with a loud thud upon the forest floor.

Youji coughed hard feeling as though his body was just a moment away from shattering. An intense pain began to awaken in his lower back and a grimace of misery formed on his face; an expression looking something adjacent to that of a face expressing an impassioned laughter - mouth opened wide with both rows of teeth showing, eyes shut tightly and a furrowed brow. The only thing to set the two faces apart was the small bit of moisture forming at the sides of Youji's eyes.

The boy lay there for a second staring up at the the sky peeking through the coverage of the trees fighting back tears. He exhaled harshly letting his head fall to left and his sights focus on the ground before they later fell on a figure standing in a clearing not too far off in the distance. The figure was that of a shapely female topped with bright pink hair.

A deep sigh escaped Youji's mouth as he watched his sensei draw three shuriken and take a weapon throwing stances. Sakura-sensei's arm bent back and flexed forward – her back arched and sent her steel and edges outward from herself and out at Youji.

There was no choice for Youji, the weapons were coming right at him and he had no choices but to either move or be stabbed. In a flash the boy was up on his feet and had dodged the on-coming attack by ducking quickly behind a tree.

Off in the distance Youji would witness Kireme moving swiftly with Rie-chan following only a few steps behind him. Both of them moving in extreme quiet.

"Really?" Youji called out into the surrounding trees, "Really Sarutobi? Why would you push me out of a tree?"

"Because I needed you to draw sensei's fire!" Answered the other young boy back to the first from somewhere within the density of all the plants.

"You couldn't have just told me that!"

"And chance her hearing us speak and learn our positions as well as Rie-chan's before we had a chance to get to her? No way! This plan worked out much better."

"I fell three stories out of a tree and landed on my back."

"Well I assumed you would land better than that. I thought you were skilled enough."

Youji could feel an anger welling up inside him but refused to let it show; besides any further conversation would only help Sakura-sensei track them.

Suddenly Rie's voice sounded loudly, "I'm going for it!"

Kireme would instantly call after her with, "I don't think you should announce that!"

Youji couldn't help but foresee a bleak outcome as Rie marched forward towards the clearing where Sakura-sensei was launching her attacks from.

The girl's pace was slow – faster than it had been previously but still not that of many of her peers.

Youji watched as Rie dashed forth from the cover and stealth of the trees to charge their sensei. Rie's feet took turns hitting the earth at a speed slow enough for Youji to count her steps.

His eyes never left her figure as she made her approach.

Unleashed in a fury by Rie was a perfect battle stance followed by a slue of precisely executed strikes and combos. Youji couldn't believe what he was being witness to – this girl's taijutsu skills were much more advanced and honed than his own.

Not a move was wasted. Every thrust of an arm and extend of a leg connected cleanly with Sakura-sensei's torso and looked to be quite powerful. Sakura-sensei made no attempt to use any counter-attacks and Youji couldn't be quite sure whether or not it was because she was taking it easy on her student or if she was unable to do so; only days later would he dismiss the latter realizing his sensei's skill level.

Two blows to the kidneys, numerous to the chest, four to the chin, and three to the stomach – Rie was on a roll and wasn't showing any signs of letting up from what Youji could see.

The sound of steel scratching across a surface made of tough leather rung out in Youji's ears as its uniqueness could not be ignored. The sound betokened an action that all shinobi would at some time or another do and also one that all shinobi should be weary of. Rie drew in a flash from her the shuriken holster anchored to her thigh a sharpened kunai.

Youji couldn't believe what he was seeing and he wasn't the only one. Kireme's voice called out in a mix of fear and excitement.

"What are you doing? This is only an exercise!"

His words came too late though – they would reach his female comrade's ears just as she plunged the edged weapon deep into her sensei's gut with both of her arms putting strength into the force.

Youji instantly noticed a change in Rie's stance. It became weak and limited as if she had suddenly come into contact with something she hadn't expected. The reason for her surprise broken posture and attitude soon became clear.

A puff of smoke blew out from the center of where Sakura had once been standing, impaled by her students kunai and her own form had disappeared from that place all together.

"_A replacement jutsu_" Youji thought to himself still in the capacity of an onlooker positioned for safety behind a tree, "_This can't be good._"

His guess was correct after all. Only seconds later did the smoke clear to reveal to Rie and the others that she had stabbed her blade deep into the fibers of a log of wood.

Having appeared in mid-air, all of the log's weight was held up on nothing more than Rie's arms alone; weight too much and too cumbersome to be left on the strength of a single girl child.

The red-haired girl's knees quickly buckled as the log's weight broke her and forced her to bend at the waist as it came crashing to the ground.

"_Brilliant_"

Youji couldn't help but think this as he realized his sensei's skill once more. Her replacement hadn't only removed her from battle and allowed her a chance to counter-attack but it had also left Rie completely open – as she now stood in the middle of the clearing bent over, rump in the air.

He was left little time to marvel at Sakura-sensei's sheer speed. Just as he began to think of how unbelievably fast she must have executed her jutsu and subsequently the hand seals that were required to make it work, Youji realized that his sensei wouldn't simply retreat.

A counter-attack was indeed coming.

Sprinting from behind the shelter of the tree with locomotive speed, Youji headed towards the clearing just as Rie-chan was drawing her body up to a standing position again.

The dark-skinned youngster would close the eleven meter gap between himself and Rie-chan in no more than a few seconds.

"_From above._"

The boy had thought just before dashing forward from the forest to meet with Rie-chan in the clearing – and he had been right. Crushing his own momentum so as to stop himself just in front of the girl, Youji turned his eyes to the sky to see his sensei's silhouette high above himself and outlined by the light of the sun.

He couldn't help but squint. The brightness he was looking directly into was damning – another planned move; Youji had no doubt in his mind.

The woman's form was telling. She threw her arms out away from her body with force and freed a hail-storm of weaponry from her possession in the process. Kunai and shuriken alike filled the sky and Youji knew that the sharp points and verges would soon come to pierce his and Rie-chan's bodies just as Sakura-sensei had meant for them to.

In preparation, Youji took a step backward, pressing his back against the chest of a still recovering Rie-chan and pulled from his own shuriken holster thee shuriken to arm his left hand with and a single kunai to arm his right hand.

He would deflect as many of the oncoming weapons as he could while protecting Rie-chan, take the sting of what he couldn't deter from striking his body and use the kunai to begin attacking when Sakura-sensei touched down.

"_All this for the loud girl._"

The plan was well worked out in Youji's head. He could even visual his movements.

But as the weapons descended from the air and grew closer to him, Youji found that he couldn't move. He was paralyzed with fear. Surely a great and experienced shinobi would be able to preform his plan but the simple fear of being struck and the pain that would follow had stunned him.

There was no time left. He had to act, but couldn't. Youji simply closed his eyes in panic.

He waited for the sting to come and the displeasureable sensations to fill his body.

But they never came.

Metal edges meeting with dirt and grass produce profound sounds – sounds that Youji had also become extremely well acquainted with. The boy knew that the weapons had come crashing down but couldn't understand why he hadn't felt a thing.

Opening his eye-lids slowly, Youji felt a small pang of disappointment begin to fester in his stomach. Before him stood Kireme – his back turned to Youji and standing strong with his arms outstretched in a pose that would have told anyone he had stood to protect his teammates.

Asuma's son stood erect with only a few shuriken poking out from his anatomy. One jutting out from his right shoulder, another having forced its way into the skin just in the crux between the boy's forearm and bicep of his left arm and one more sticking out from his left thigh – that was only what Youji could see however.

Youji must have let out some kinda of noise, perhaps a sigh of disbelief or a heavy breath of irritation, because something prompted Kireme to speak.

Turning his head just far enough to speak with Youji and keep an eye on his sensei who had just put her feet back on the ground both, Kireme began.

"I saw you freeze up and had to do something."

When Youji didn't reply, Kireme continued.

"Don't worry about me. More than half of them were just clones."

"If you knew they were clones then why didn't you just let them strike me?"

"Who said I knew they were clones?"

"Why else would you throw yourself in front of an attack like that?"

"Well I couldn't chance that they weren't and let the two of you get hurt."

The two boys spoke quickly. There conversation taking place also in a mere matter of seconds.

Youji settled on the fact that Kireme was a glory hound in his own head. His explanation simply didn't make any sense. The taller boy hadn't made any attempt to deflect any of the weapons – not as far as Youji was aware of. That alone said something about his motive in Youji's mind.

Had he been able to stop the attack or even divert it then his actions would have meant that he was truly trying to save his friends but his silly act of martyrdom had sent the message that he was either incredibly stupid or out to look like the hero – in Youji's opinion at least.

"When you see me make my move, you should make yours" Kireme stated while never taking an eye off of his sensei.

"Got it" Rie answered him back, fully recovered and with some fierceness in her tone.

Having received that confirmation, Kireme bolted off towards Sakura-sensei with lightning speed. Youji watched in envy as he recognized Kireme's speed more than likely surpassed his own.

The boy of smaller stature couldn't believe what he was seeing – Kireme was seemingly moving so fast that he wasn't disturbing any of the terrain about him.

Asuma's son showed his daring as he leaped into the air from his dash towards Sakura-sensei.

Youji couldn't decipher exactly what Kireme's plan had been – Sakura was watching the Sarutobi clan descendant make his approach extremely closely and the boy had never made any attempt to conceal his movement.

Their masterful kunoichi sensei wasted no time dispensing of Kireme. Her leg would raise from the ground to catch the body of her attacking student in mid-air with a powerful roundhouse kick. A simple puff of smoke would be the produced result of her action.

"_A clone_?"

Youji was more impressed with Kireme's move in that moment than he would ever admit. He hadn't been able to see the exchange his comrade must have performed at some time or another. The body that took the shuriken couldn't have been that of a clone seeing as how it would have dissipated after being hit – but Youji couldn't for the life of him pin down the exact moment Kireme had exchanged himself for a clone.

Ongoing action took prevalence over thought. Rie shouted a short, "Now!" Just as two identical bodies jumped from the cloak of the forest behind their sensei's back – both of the bodies belonging to Kireme.

Rie's shouted instruction seemingly alerted Sakura-sensei to the surprise attack being made from within her blind spot. Whipping about, in one fluid motion the pink-haired woman turned to meet her student again in mid-air and without much effort simply caught one of the copies from the air by the face with an open palm. Youji labeled her strength unreal as well as he watched in awe how the woman dispatched the Kireme held tight in her grip about the face by hurling him hundreds of meters off into the far distance of the forest to impact with a tree and dissipate upon contact.

The second Kireme still approaching in an airborne capacity drew from behind his back a kunai as he continued towards his sensei.

The white-haired boy knew instantly that his sensei could tell what he couldn't somehow – which Kireme copy had been the original. Raising her foot from the ground, Sakura ended Kireme's approach by letting the boy's own momentum drive his body into her erect leg.

Her sandal drove deep into his abdomen. A look of horror crossed Kireme's face as he felt the terrible sensation down in his bowels and produced a sound to compliment the immense pain.

Though in that moment Kireme's body had been completely stopped his limbs continued forward both as a result of how he was stopped and his own determination to keep up his pursuit.

His body and arm length combined was just enough to cross the expanse of Sakura's leg. With his kunai still in hand, Kireme was within perfect position to procure one of the bells dangling at her waist.

Sakura-sensei could tell that his injury wasn't enough to deter him. In the very same moment that Kireme moved to swipe his blade at the sting fastening one of the bells to his sensei's clothing, Sakura threw him off and away with a jutting motion of her leg.

Youji had been so busy watching and analyzing that he had little time to notice Rie-chan's advancement. The small girl was now flanking her teacher from behind and the left moving in at her top speed. Sakura having been preoccupied with stopping Kireme's oncoming attack hadn't been paying much attention to Rie either.

Youji sprang into action. Having decided he couldn't lose out to his comrades, the boy quickly followed

Rie's example. Propelling himself along as quickly as his body could allow, Youji caught up with Rie in a second and mimicked her movement.

Rie approached from the left and Youji from the right.

As he approached Youji tried to formulate some kind of a plan. He couldn't believe how brashly he was behaving; his teammates must have been heavily influencing him. Normally Youji liked to plot out his every move and be prepared for any situation but now he found himself rushing into situations without any thought at all.

It wasn't his teammates influencing him – it was his drive to win. He didn't like being so impulsive but there was little he could do about it under these circumstances. He had to act or he would lose.

His plotting would have to be done in just seconds this time.

Youji looked his sensei over extensively. Her stance, her body type and size and her previous movements were all being taken in account. The dark-skinned boy wasn't too worried about being seriously injured. So far, this mature kunoichi was taking it quite easy on her students. His only concern was how to properly engage her. He knew he wouldn't have to actually defeat her in battle – she just had to be approached in such a way that would allow him to catch her off-guard and in a position where he could reach one of the bells.

"_Kireme had the right idea. A surprise attack and formation._"

Youji looked his sensei over once more and was left in complete shock. Just at her waist hung only one bell. The other was no where in sight.

Curious green eyes would break focus on their target to view Kireme; the boy sat upright on the ground marveling at some small object that he held clasped in his hands. That confirmed it – Kireme indeed owned one of the two prizes.

At her speed Youji felt he could easily pass Rie but he instead fell back. Her skill in hand to hand combat was much greater than his own and if he were truly wanting to catch Sakura-sensei off-guard or even force her onto the defensive, Rie was better suited to do so.

He would wait for his female teammate to make her move and make his own to correlate with her.

Finally within attacking distance, Youji waited for Rie to make the first move – and she did.

An almost flawless flying kick was executed by Rie but was instantly blocked by Sakura-sensei.

"There!" Youji let the word slip from his mouth as he spotted his opening. Their sensei had taken up a wide-gated stance when she had moved to block the kick Rie had initiated; Youji was about to take full advantage of it.

Still maintaining his speed, the dark-skinned boy fell directly to the ground; burying his side down into the earth. Youji tried to steady himself as he slid forward towards his sensei. He readied his hand and watched as Sakura-sensei threw Rie-chan off and away while not changing her stance.

Sliding between her legs Youji couldn't help but think in excitement, "_This is it!_"

His fingertips grazed the last prize but couldn't quite grasp it. First his middle finger and then his index finger played about the cold, silver surface of the bell; a small chiming sounded as Youji disturbed it just enough to make it sing its call.

Sakura-chan tossed a still air-inhabiting Rie aside after having observed how close her student Youji had come to obtaining the bell.

Youji was shaken to the core as he felt a hard force strike him in his chest. Sent rolling away at a speed that he couldn't even reach while on foot by a well performed kick, Youji gasped for air trying to recapture the breathe that was knocked from him and watched as best he could as Rie recovered and claimed the last bell for herself on a shrinking plane.

Finally rolling to a stop, Youji came to rest on his back. This was the second time today he had been in this position – not only the being situated on his back but also being left vulnerable, defenseless and looking foolish.

He thought for a moment about how to react to his failure while wearing a completely blank face – he would emote only verbally when he had decided on a emotion to display. The choice was hard. Youji was strongly fighting the urge to jump to his feet and begin cursing himself in a tone and at a volume of voice that would rival even that of Rie-chan. Or perhaps working his way to his feet and displaying a huge smile would compensate nicely for the embarrassment he was feeling inside – they'd never know he was seriously upset if he just played the whole thing off as something that hadn't meant a great deal.

Youji had decided against both actions in the end – he had done so just in time as well. Without much warning the other three members of Team 4 were suddenly upon him. They all stood over him and stared down at what he could only assume was a rather sad sight. The boy was rather happy with his decision to stay blank faced as always; none of them could tell what was going on inside him.

"It looks as though one of your team failed" Sakura-sensei had stated very harshly. Her voice hadn't carried any emotion when she spoke as if she were taking her cue from Youji.

A hand descended down came to hover just a foot above Youji's face. The boy knew instantly knew who the hand belonged to seeing as how both his sensei and Rie-chan were within sight even as he rest on his back. His eyes floated as far back as they would go without causing some discomfort to reveal that he was correct in his thinking; it was Kireme standing near his head, offering up literally a helping hand.

Youji hesitated to accept the help but did so only a moment later realizing that if he didn't he would appear to be bitter.

Now on his feet, Youji stood silently staring up and into the eyes of his sensei. He wasn't sure what to expect in this situation. Some part of Youji was foreseeing a great deal of punishment being doled out to himself or at the very least a stern lecture in which Sakura-sensei would disclose how very disappointed in his performance she was. The boy waited in silence while standing shoulder to shoulder with Kireme for his sensei's response.

"You can't fail Youji-kun!" Shouted Kireme much to all the group member's surprise, "He worked just as hard as anyone!"

Youji could have tackled Kireme right then and there. He didn't need this kid to vouch for him – it made him look even worse. It made him look pathletic. Youji kept his feelings to himself and lowered his head quietly.

"But he didn't obtain a bell Kireme."

Sakura-sensei answered Asuma's son back with the exact reply and tone that Youji had predicted she would.

There can a large silence. No one spoke for a second. The dark-skinned child guessed that his sensei was now focused on Kireme and waiting for him to reply in some form. He didn't bother to look at anyone and kept his eyes directed at the ground – Youji saw Rie-chan's toes wiggle with nervousness just out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly the sound of one of the bells rung out in the area. Youji listened to the sound in produced carefully and even those sounds following it. Next came that same sound of metal scraping leather and then the sound of metal weaponry piercing sky as it ascended with great speed from it's wielder's hand and soared high above at a speed most couldn't force and then

...the sound of steel penetrating silver!

Youji's eyes widened as he continued looking down and the sound of the bell somewhere above sounded once more and for the last time.

Only a second later would it appear on the ground nestled in the grass after having fallen from the sky – half of one of the silver bells lay there waiting for Youji to pick it from the floor of the forest. Youji was stunned. Kireme had halved his prize...to share it with him.

Sarutobi, Kireme knelt down and collected the half from the grass and without any hesitation placed it into his comrade's hanging open palm and proceeded to help close Youji's grasp tight around the item – he displayed the traits of his clan in that moment.

"Now he's got one too" Kireme answered in a voice so low that his every word seemed to be covered with fear and cowardice – with good reason too since he might have not only proceeded to fail himself but also to show some defiance towards his sensei.

"What are you doing! Now you're going to fail right along with him!" exclaimed Rie with a sincerely worried expression on her face, "Isn't that right Sakura-sensei?" The girl quickly looked for confirmation from her superior.

Youji didn't know what to expect at this point. Kireme's actions had completely caught him off-guard – anything was possible after his teammate's show of generosity.

"Yes Kireme, you would have failed along with Youji due to that act of benevolence" ,Sakura stared both her male students down as she spoke.

"Would have?" Rie questioned sweetly and with a tone that was unusually soft.

"That's right. If this test had truly been about simply obtaining one of the two bells then Kireme would have failed for bisecting the very thing he was supposed to obtain. I never instructed him to destroy or deface the bell at any given time. But as it is..."

Sakura let her voice trail off as just the corner of her mouth began to curl upward while purposely providing another information cliffhanger for her pupils.

"You mean the test wasn't about getting the bells?" Kireme asked with a audible smile. Youji was glad he had asked the question and for once was happy with something the other boy had done.

"Well it was" Sakura began, "It was about how you obtained the bells. The three of you worked as a team and that's what won two of you the prize that and it was also a helpful exercise to let me see the skill level you all were performing at and also curious just to see if you could in fact get them away from me. But...the true test was simply seeing whether or not the three of you could perform as a unit...together through teamwork."

The three youngsters hung on their sensei's every word as she spoke and though Youji still refused to make eye contact he felt a rising since of intrigue.

"So if I was grading upon a point system I would actually say that Kireme's generosity would have bettered your score by leaps and bounds" the woman smiled as she spoke, "But since it was an easy grading system of either passing or failing that isn't an issue." Sakura took a breath in between words.

"Based upon your performances I declare that you all passed."

Youji was happy inside but for some reason still longed to have procured on of the bells. It still seemed so very important to him. Kireme had gotten one and so had Rie-chan – he was the odd man out; the one person not skilled enough to have snagged victory.

"Congratulation!" Sakura-sensei let out with just a small amount of enthusiasm, "We'll all meet tomorrow at the village gates to begin our duties."

With that Sakura turned on her heel and started away from her three young students. They were left in silence and shock for a moment before Rie disrupted the mood. The girl took off running after her sensei, shouting after her with gusto, "Could you show me some of those blocks you used before we regroup tomorrow?"

Youji liked how eager Rie-chan was to better herself and sharpen her skills. The dark-skinned boy contemplated running after his sensei as well and joining the training session that was being set up but he didn't want to appear as if he needed to extra help, even though the entirety of Team 4 knew he did.

At last lifting his gaze from the ground, Youji found Kireme still standing by his side. His expression must have left the son of Asuma know that he was less than pleased with his presence because Kireme's disposition quickly turned awkward and fearful. The pale-skinned spoke with a quiver in his voice.

"I guess...I guess I'll see you tomorrow then Youji-kun" With that the boy turned to leave, but before he could make his way off Youji would question him.

"Why did you help me out today?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Kireme answered back genuinely perplexed, "You're my teammate."

"But you put yourself at risk of failing to try and help me pass. It didn't make sense."

"Well...I wasn't thinking. So there's the logic in that. I saw that you needed help and I helped you."

There was a long pause in conversation between the two boys. The pair just stared back and forth at one another, seemingly waiting for something to happen.

"You would have done the same thing for me Youji...I know you would have. That's the kind of person I think you are" Kireme spoke with such conviction that he almost could have convinced Youji himself that he was right "You would've wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would have" Youji answered. In that moment he couldn't allow himself to hesitate for even a second's time.

Kireme smiled and began shaking his head softly as he turned away to depart once again And then something dawned on the boy forcing him to turn back once more.

"Let's make a pact" the words skipped out happily from within Kireme.

"What kind of pact?"

"The kind that any teammates should have. An agreement that no matter what happens we'll always look out for each other...the way good shinobi do for others of their villages."

"Kireme...as teammates and shinobi we're already bound to that oath to protect the village and one another."

"I know...but this one will be a special pact...just between the two of us. We're closer than the other shinobi are to each other. We're practically brothers the way I see it...with Mr. Nara caring for the both of us, ya know?"

Youji struggled to keep his real feelings inside. His thoughts were reeling and he was dying to let them out. The dark-skinned boy lived alone only supported by Mister Nara's money – not like Kireme who was stayed within Nara's house during periods of training and leisurely whenever he wished to stay there.

"How about it?" Kireme asked with a bit of a grin on his face.

Clenching his half of the bell tightly within his fist, Youji couldn't bring himself to say anything other than, "It's a deal. We'll protect each other with all our strength."

"Great then" the taller boy answered back, "I'll see you later! I've got to go tell Nara-sama all about what's happened here today!" And having spoken his fill, Kireme darted off into the trees of the forest to make his way back to the village.

Youji sighed and stared down at the silver half-sphere in his hand accompanied only by the loneliness of the forest. Though he could see all the good that Sarutobi, Kireme carried within himself, Youji couldn't quell his feelings of dislike for him. Every second more he allowed himself to reply the events of the day and of the past few years in general, the dislike grew and grew.

It seemed as if Kireme would always be his superior! Always, always, always!

Unless he did something about it.

**Author's Note**: Please feel free to leave comments and critiques. : ) Hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3

To The Future For The Past

by Jagdish_XXXO

She pressed the thick entanglement of numerous noodles to her lips and felt the thick oily broth grace her lips with a gentleness that made that very moment almost euphoric. The distinct taste that miso and chicken broth produced when blended together was one that she had been fighting to never again experience; such the taste brought back too many memories.

Sakura had sincerely never wanted that taste on her tongue again but on this day she could help but to indulge in it.

Ichiraku Ramen Bar. This had been the place that Sakura-sensei, as she was now known, had decided to invite her students to dine with her before their first official mission. Her reasoning quite clear. Some part of this woman still clung to an early time; Sakura hated to admit it but the days when herself, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke had frequented the ramen shop together still held a place in her heart.

Sakura's eyes arose from her bowl, her focus moving from the small sea of broth and swirl noodles to Ayame's face – which bore a smile and yet a look of concern. It seemed at first that this woman knew too well what was on Sakura's mind, but the pink-haired woman quickly dismissed that possibility for many different reasons.

Sakura wasn't that transparent – or at least she didn't believe so.

She felt the sadness tugging at the edges of her eyes where tears would soon form if she didn't do something to stop them from forming. The sadness was not just about her eyes but all over her face.

The hurt weighed on her cheeks and the anguish tickled at the back of her throat and just behind her sockets at her temples. For just a few seconds Sakura let the emotions she was holding at bay surge and rush over her. She reflected on how very different things were from those times long ago.

The noodles were different as well as the broth; Ayame had made a few changes to the recipe of the shop's miso ramen after Teuchi's recent death. The thrice remodeled and rebuilt shop bore no resemblance to the shop Sakura had eaten in as a child alongside all of her village peers. And even beyond the walls of Ichiraku very little within Konoha looked or felt the way it did back then – back then when team seven comprised of it's original members and felt and operated more like a family than a military unit.

The anguish was now deep in her chest and accompanied by a feeling of worry. Sakura's darted around to view each of her students seated on either side of her at the counter; Youji sitting about the stool to her left, Rie seated to her immediate right and Kireme to her far right, seated just on the other side of Rie.

To Sakura's surprise not a single one of her protégés had taken notice of her momentary lapse in ability to control her emotions and their display; the actions they were instead partaking in seemed to compliment Sakura's look into past memories.

Kireme was all too busy scarfing down his bowl of Ramen; the lightning fast movements bringing the noodles from the bowl to his mouth and a furrowed brow marked his determination in finishing the meal and his enjoyment of it. His behavior couldn't help but force Sakura to remember a certain someone. Rie looked on at her comrade who was devouring his lunch at such a pace it made normal diners cringe with an expression speaking her volumes of disgust.

Sakura smiled for a second's time noting her own likeness to Rie. Her mood brightened even further when Rie opened her mouth to speak quite bluntly the words, "You are a pig Sarutobi." And finally there was Youji, who sat in close proximity to teammates but was somehow still so far away. The dark-skinned boy sat with his face held in his own hands and staring down into his untouched bowl; his expression pensive and telling.

"I'm not a pig. I just like Ramen!" Kireme answered Rie the best he could around a mouthful of noodles. Though the young girl was now facing away from him altogether in an attempt to avoid having to look at his soup soaked face.

Sakura noticed that she had drawn the attention of her female student. Rie stared up at her without saying a word; an action that made Sakura somewhat uncomfortable. The curious and wondering eyes of a child made her uneasy; they seemed to question her unmercifully. Sakura turned her sights away from the children and focused instead on the menu posted high up on the wall in front of her as she spoke.

"So." She started slowly, "I'd like for the three of you to tell me a little bit about yourselves." This statement seemed to catch all the children off guard. Each of the youngsters faces were suddenly blank and awkwardly turned towards Sakura as if she had just requested they all shed their clothing and jump into a vat of fire – and perhaps in some way she had. She was asking them to open up and let down their personal defenses and jump into an uncomfortable social situation with strangers. No one liked to do that.

Rie was the first to speak up just as Sakura had predicted. She was the group risk taker it would seem.\

"I am Satō Rie" the young girl began in her loud speaking voice, " I like coffee and wolves and puppies...oh...oh and I like art and training hard!" Rie wore an abnormally large smile on her face after finishing her statement, she folded her arms and sat back in her chair with a very obvious feeling of accomplishment.

"Any dislikes?" Sakura asked of her only girl student; looking her over and being pleased with her level of participation. _"It's always the girls that open up first in these situations."_

Rie twirled a strand of her bright red hair about her with her index finger as she thought for a moment; her eyes turned upwards towards the ceiling and her large smile fading. Sakura and Kireme both waited intently for the answer that had provoked such deep thought. Finally, after an interval of time seeming much too long to contemplate any answer for any question so simply as the one posed, Rie's face light up once more and she gave a response, "Pessimists."

The reactions that this answer had elicited were all very different. Sakura wore a face of shock – having been very surprised that such a mature answer was given by such a young person and expressed with such a sophisticated word. Kireme let out a heavy sigh; he was instantly annoyed by the amount of arrogance a person must have possessed in order to give such an answer as if they were never to be counted among the group known as pessimists. And then there was Youji – a worried frown inhabited his brow in that moment of hearing Rie's answer as he realized they really weren't going to get along; he himself was quite the pessimist.

Recovering from her momentary awe Sakura posed another question, "And what about your dreams?"

"Dreams?" Rie said speaking for the first time in a soft whisper. Her tone was inquisitive, sounding almost as if she didn't comprehend what the word meant at all.

"Yeah. It's like the stuff that you want to do the most." Kireme offered with a smile as he waited for Rie's answer. The red-haired girl grimaced. "I know what it means!" Rie bellowed, twisting her lips up and sitting up taut in her chair with her chest poked out in a display of pride. Rie's male comrade who had before offered her help withdrew physically by leaning a bit away and furrowing his brow; his face spoke volumes.

Sakura spoke quickly hoping to calm any mounting tension between the two children before a blowing point was reached, "What do you aspire to do in the world?"

Rie bellowed once more, "I want to be a great ninja!"

"Is that all?" Sakura replied back.

"I want to be a great ninja. OH! And I want to found my own clan! The Satō clan! My clan will be one made up of only incredible shinobi – ones with devastating jutsus and strong moral codes" Rie smiled in conclusion and raised up a clenched fist showing a wellspring of enthusiasm.

Sakura couldn't help but smile as she looked on at her student; she saw a determination and passion in the young girl's eyes that she recognized. "That's a great dream and goal Rie!" the children's sensei said stirring about the last remaining noodles in her bowl of broth, "and I'm only too happy to help you get there."

Rie stuck out her chest once again. There was a momentary silence after that. Sakura had hoped that one of the boys would volunteer to go next and that she wouldn't have to prompt one of them to do so but that wasn't the case at all. A full minute passed with neither Youji nor Kireme offering up any information about themselves; The two seemed completely content with not being heard from.

The mature kunoichi hadn't taken the time to look to her left in quite some time but when she finally did she wasn't at all surprised by what she found. Youji was still sitting motionless with his face in his hands and staring down in to his bowl. Something seemed to be on the boy's mind and Sakura thought it best not to disturb him until it was necessary.

"Kireme" Sakura stated, turning her attentions back to her right side, "Why don't you go next?"

The sensei was met with instant opposition. "Why do I have to go next?' Kireme asked through a mouth stuffed full of noodles, "Why can't Youji go next?"

Sakura had to quickly quell her temper; she had operated in a position of power as head medical-nin within the village for so long that she had become quite accustomed to not being questioned or challenged. "I would just like for you to go next is all." the pink-haired woman stated, "I'm just more eager to hear from you." Her tone was shallow and dull – a ploy to make sure that her gloomy student didn't at all believe that she was favoring any of her students over another and to ensure that Kireme knew she wasn't going to budge on her request.

"A shinobi must never question their leading ninja!" Rie said boastfully, reciting one of the many Konohagakure rules of being a ninja.

Kireme sighed and after rolling his eyes at his female comrade's statement he began, "I am Kireme. Sarutobi Kireme."

"Sarutobi," Rie repeated with an airy voice that told her excitement and awe.

"And I dislike that." Kireme put his head down and shoved in a great deal of noodles after his cryptic answer.

"What don't like you like?" His sensei quickly issued another question.

"Being a slave to my name." Kireme didn't bother to look at any of his teammates as he responded this time, "People always react."

"But they react positively don't they?" Sakura asked with her eyes not wide open and staring at the back of Kireme's brown-hair covered head with confusion.

"It doesn't matter!" the boy said with a fury, "They aren't reacting to me! Their reacting to my lineage. Their reacting to what my father accomplished and what his father did and even his father before him."

"What they did was great Kireme-kun. The entirety of Konoha owes it's very existence and survival to your ancestors. They were the founders and protectors of..."

Kireme couldn't help but feel himself becoming more and more agitated; he had heard it all before – how great and wonderful his father and grandfather and great grandfather were and how he should be proud to carry on their name and he was but bearing their name meant so much. A name carries with it meaning and expectations. The boy grew tired of listening to Rie's explanation as to why he shouldn't feel the way he did and decided to interject.

"I know who they were. Trust me. I know. But I don't want to be known for their accomplishments. I want to make my own name and be known for my own accomplishments. People expect so much from me because I carry my uncle's blood and the blood of my grandfather and cousin, but I want to be free of those expectations." Kireme stopped his monologue for a moment to think, but as he started again his voice was suddenly strong and steady, "That's why it's my dream to get as far away from my name as possible. I'll make my own history"

Sakura hadn't even had time to part her lips to reply to her Kireme's words before she heard the screeching sound of wood meeting wood as a chair to her left was away from the counter. Youji was raising up from his seat just as Sakura caught a glimpse of his actions; he bolted for the door before any one could say a thing to stop him; a commotion that caused disrest among the rest of the group.

Rie called out after him, "Where are you going Youji? We haven't been dismissed."

"It's fine. He isn't required to stick around for social gatherings." Sakura said with a somber voice – after having read his file the woman could only imagine what had gone through his head after hearing Kireme's words.

"Oh. He's not required to be here but I'm required to talk, huh?"

Rie gave Kireme a firm slap to the back of his head from her position at his left side and frowned a bit letting him know that she greatly disagreed with his actions.

"You're all free to go if you want." Sakura answered back. She had said the words but still somewhat saddened to see both of her students jump up from their seats and dart out of the restaurant. The woman thought back to her youth and remembered distinctly the self she had been – she would have loved to spend extra time getting to know Kakashi and spending time just socializing with her sensei; the same was not true of her students though and for some reason that hurt Sakura some.

"Perhaps I'm not as cool as Kakashi sensei was."

Sakura walked the streets of Konoha alone with only a summer eve's wind to keep her company. She looked about at the many building facades and again felt a sense that she had lost something. The structures hadn't been the same as they were when she was a child for many years and it had never before bothered her – but tonight was different. Perhaps tonight she was just missing him more than usual.

Her eyes began to deceive her. The streets began to look the same as when Team 7 was a family – when Naruto was nothing but annoying little brother and Sasuke a simple crush and then when Naruto was more like an annoying little brother and Sasuke a dark gallant who owned her heart and finally when Naruto was a noble man and Sasuke her mortal enemy.

When Naruto walked beside her down a side street Sakura couldn't help but smile at the mirage but she knew then that it was truly time to return home to her dwelling as the sunset gave way to night.

She entered her apartment with a sigh and feeling tears pulling at the edges of her eyes once more. The domicile was dark – lit only by the moonlight that crept in through the few windows. Sakura couldn't see through the darkness but had not want enough to seek out a lamp to cure the all consuming shadow – it was this way ever night she returned home. The darkness was just like the depression the woman now lived in. She had lost a lover and in turn lost a part of herself; the part that gave her a zest for life itself.

Closing the door behind herself, Sakura now stood alone in the dark with only a small red light blinking nearby to stave the dark. That red light was a signal that someone had cared enough that day to seek her out or at least check up on her. She took a few steps closer to the red light and with her index finger pressed the button should could not see but knew was there near the blinking. Her answering machine began it's playback of a message that had been left earlier in the day.

"Sakura...Sakura? Sakura are you there?" The voice being played back by the machine was that of Ino Yamanaka – Sakura's childhood best friend and then rival and in more recent years best friend again; her voice was soft and kind but trembled with worry, "I was just calling to see how you were. I haven't heard from you in awhile." There was a long pause before Ino began to speak again. Sakura could tell that the woman was trying to search hard for the right words to say, "I've been worried about you, you know? I was on your side of town last night and I when I was passing by I didn't see any lights on in your place. You aren't doing that thing where you sit in the dark for hours again are you? I know you've been really down but you can't just...just wallow in despair." There was another long pause. "I really hope not. Look, me and Chōji were wondering if you could come by for dinner. We'd love to have you over and I think it would be really good for you to get out of the house. I hope you come by. Bye."

Sakura smiled thinking about Ino's happy face, lovely home and her lover Chōji. Ino had always sworn that she wouldn't lose to Sakura in neither love nor ninjutsu – and she made good on half of that promise. Though she never grew quite the ninja that Sakura was and even later gave up her life as a kunoichi all together – she had found love first. She married Chōji Akimichi, not Sasuke Uchiha like she had originally planned but she was happy all the same.

Thinking on the love that Ino had found made Sakura think on the love that she had lost. The man she had chosen to give her heart to was a great man – the sixth hokage of Konoha.

Sakura took a seat at her desk and began turning up the picture frames that she had previously turned down to avoid the pain of having to remember happiness. She looked to the picture of Team 7 first. Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke all stared back at her – and herself at age twelve. That smile she was wearing one that day that photo was taken would surely fade in the years to come – if only she had known then what she would come to know.

Then she turned her eyes to the picture of the Sixth Hokage.

"_Look at him...all grown up." _she thought.

Tears started to stream down her checks. Sakura had held them at bay for so long that letting them fall from her eyes caused her pain. There was so much to still say to him but her message couldn't reach his ears. She had thought many times of riding on the wings of an angel to deliver the message to him herself but she found herself once again too weak to accomplish her goal just like she had many times before in her life.

She began to speak words that would fall upon no ones ears but her own – her eyes were transfixed with his.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to be stronger for you when it could have saved you. But I swear to you that I'll be strong for you now! I will not fail you this time my Hokage. My love. I will keep the Will of Fire alive and make the next generation strong in the way of ninja just as you would have wanted me to. I will make their future bright for you and you will live on in through them."


End file.
